


conquerors

by bobadeluxe



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, First Time, M/M, Pre-Canon, Pre-Slash, Resolved Sexual Tension, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2021-02-25 05:35:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22330792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bobadeluxe/pseuds/bobadeluxe
Summary: He would never see The King of Athens again.
Relationships: Asterius | The Minotaur/Theseus (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 236





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I tagged this with 'canon divergence' because... I am a fucking dumbass. I wrote this before I got the dialogue about how Theseus found Asterius in EREBUS, not ELYSIUM. I am going to bawl my eyes out. Let's just say Theseus pulled some strings to get him first class in hell prior to his death or something.
> 
> edit: oh he has FEET. body of a man, head of a bull.. DUH. ngl i never paid attention ro his spirte. gosh this is a mess. welp he has hooves now cause its cuter.

He would never see The King of Athens again. Theseus could not be slain. Him who could defeat The Bull of Minos shall live long and prosper. He shall stand tall as his kingdom rise, bear witness as the gods fall, near-immortal in his greatness until the end of time. As for Asterius, he shall be imprisoned in the underworld, forever beneath Theseus' feet as he was in life and now, death.

He believed it to be true until Thanatos brought him to the Elysium fields. Asterius had imagined eternal darkness, and hellfire. Yet he was greeted in the afterlife by soft grass underneath his cloven hooves, blue air, and luminescent light that bear no resemblance to his remembrance of the word. It did not burn. Asterius could look at it with his own two eyes, and be illuminated by its brilliant shine. A new sun that feared no beast, and shrunk away from no soul.

"Why?" Asterius asked Death.

If Thanatos had heard the question before, then he had heard it a million times, perhaps even preceding the creation of mankind. He expressed no interest nor attention to Asterius' confusion, as he had no desire to put it to rest. Asterius didn't blame him.

"...It's not up to me," Thanatos said and averted his gaze elsewhere into the distance.

"I was born in darkness, and I deserve to die in darkness."

He scoffed, "Someone above must favor you."

Asterius grew desperate, "There is no honor in this."

"That's often the nature of death."

He only caught a silvery glimpse of spinning scythe, and a cloud of smoke. Then, Thanatos disappeared, leaving Asterius where the shades roamed.

Although time was immeasurable in the underworld, Asterius wagered it took him no more than a fortnight to give in. His resistance grew weak as he began to accept what the fates planned for him. For it seemed that the Elysium fields might be a proper punishment after all.

Though it was a land reserved for heroes of legends, a paradise where those favored by the gods may rest, Asterius was not afforded luxury in the afterlife. Instead, he found.. nothing. True that there was no pain, sickness, nor hunger, but there also was very little else. The shades here scattered between blades of grass, lost, not unlike the abandoned, moss covered statues of themselves. They all flocked to the Lethe, letting the river washed them and their pain away so they could finally have the privilege to _forget_. Aside from partaking in the Elysium Stadium to relive their glory days, Asterius supposed that for many warriors 'Peacefulness' was their ultimate reward. Thus their paradise was not filled with lavish feast, but instead it was calm, and quiet. 

Asterius feared the quiet. Even without shackles and chains, metal collars weighing his head down low into a bow, Asterius was still imprisoned nonetheless. Still lost in his father's labyrinth, no direction, no purpose, no mercy, craving blood and brutality as the only things he knew of, and found comfort in.

* * *

When Theseus found him, he had his spear and shield at the ready. Asterius tasted blood on his tongue at the sight of him. His soul remembered its demise well, familiarized itself with the metallic taste of blood.. and the bitterness of defeat. Theseus ended his life almost as if without effort. The daring tale of The King and The Bull shall be told for ages to come, but for Asterius, the battle itself lasted merely a second or so. The second when his world was reduced to nothing but the sharp point of Theseus' spear. The second when a feral beast learned the meaning of 'Mortality' for the first time. There was a limit to his raw strength after all, and it was Theseus.

Flesh and blood were all he was, and now he became even less. No longer the force of destruction he foolishly deemed himself to be. Theseus humbled him, and kept him grounded. So when they met again Asterius was sane and sober enough to not rush at the king with his horns. As he used to do on instinct as soon as he saw something sharp pointed towards his direction.

Theseus did not lowered his weapons. He remained in battle stance as his gaze examined Asterius from head to hooves.

"I never thought I would see you again!" he said with a wry smile. " _And so soon_."

Asterius snorted, "The same could be said about you, King of Athens."

How strange that he felt no anger when facing his murderer. Only passive curiosity. Theseus was unbelievably strong when he was alive; Asterius could not fathom what befall Theseus apart from his own ego. Theseus must be wondering too how a monster like him ended up in Elysium. Fortunately, he did not ask. Asterius wouldn't have had an answer for him if he did so.

Theseus lowered his weapons once he realized Asterius was not a threat. (He was never a threat to Theseus.) "...How do you find Elysium so far?"

Asterius glanced at him with the corner of his eyes, "Quiet."

"Quiet?" Theseus let out a guffawing laugh. " **Nonsense!** Why, the moment I arrived in Elysium, all I heard was the deafening cheers from the adoring mass!"

Once he saw that Asterius did not react in any way whatsoever, Theseus grew uncharastically bashful. He cleared his throat to cover up his awkwardness. 

"I was honored with the Champion of Elysium title," he told Asterius with a surprising softness to his voice. He sounded genuinely pleased with himself, and not in his usual boastful manner.

How appropriate of Theseus to establish his power the second be arrived in a new, strange land, even the afterlife was no exception to his unquenchable thirst. Old habits die hard. Theseus was the same warrior Asterius remembered he was, but the way Theseus looked at him was.. different, somehow.

"What is your name?" _Perhaps it was pity? He had no need for pity._ "You couldn't possibly be called 'Bull of Minos' and nothing else!"

He found himself answering anyway, "...Asterius."

" **Wonderful** ! _Oh_ , how it reminds me of my kingdom!" The king reached out towards him, and he could not tell that his deliberately slow movement came from wariness or was it meant to be gentle. "Asterius.. will you grant me the honor of fighting alongside you in the stadium?"

Suddenly - the light shined through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is more, but I got tired asdjklasd. I had to translate this from my native language and also changed from first person POV to third person. A struggle. There is probably some mistakes here and there, but I hope it's okay. I wanna contribute to this ship even though my content might be subpar.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They became something more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I debated posting this separately but decided to added in a new chapter cause.. I couldn't think of a title lol.

Rivals in life, comrades in death, too difficult a concept for many shades to grasp. In their eyes, Asterius was only an unwilling slave. Bounded to the hero who slew him in a mocking display of past victory. The crowd would remember the tale of  _ Theseus and the Minotaur  _ now that the King decided to parade his trophy around.

Asterius paid them no mind. Dead men's opinions meant very little to him. This was not the first time his sense of honor was challenged, and he doubted it would be the last. He chose this path. He chose the light -  _ chose to fight.  _ There was honor in this, albeit it must be traded with bloodshed, as with most things in life (and Death.) Violence as means to entertain, painting an otherwise green and serene Elysium red and  _ loud. _ The fallen heroes there were not so different from Asterius after all, they all craved the familiarity of war. Moreso now that they could die as many times as they wished, and always kept coming back for more, chasing their thrills through competition.

Asterius  _ knew _ battle. He knew it well, and he was good at it. The moment he picked up the battle axe, his instincts knew what to do with it next. He could feel the air between his fur as he rushed towards the enemies, phantom heart pumping cursed blood, rushing through his soul. He came alive again. Here, Asterius killed and be killed. He dealt in pain and became one with it. He bled and he bathed in it.

Asterius and Theseus grew closer. Theseus learned to trust him in combat, and he returned the favor in kind - although somewhat reluctantly. It was on the stadium that they got to know each other, through the intricate dance of shield, spear, and axe. They feasted together to celebrate their victory and sometimes - Asterius would let Theseus touch him. A friendly slap on the shoulder to boost his spirits before battle. A helping hand that - to his surprise - could help carry Asterius' bruised and battered body back to their chamber. One time, Theseus flicked the curly tuft of hair on his forehead, just for the sake of it. Asterius could feel a bond forming between him and his murderer, but he did not fight it. It felt inevitable somehow. As long as they fought side by side, the Fates  _ would _ tie them together. The same inevitability happened with how a Minotaur could not be trapped in a labyrinth, feasting on the carcass of whatever his father threw his way forever. Monsters were created to be defeated. Sooner or later, a king-warrior from distant land shall put an end to his heinous crimes. Put him out of his misery. 

Theseus was lying in front of him, nestled between soft cushions. Silken blankets draping across his half-naked body, their brilliant colors gleamed like gemstones. One of many tributes bestowed upon him by the gods above. When Theseus stretched and leaned over to grab a bottle of Ambrosia, he became illuminated by the candlelights. Warm, rich bronze skin glowed with the essential oil rubbed all over his body, highlighting every inch of tight muscles. Shiny and pretty like a new gold coin.

"You will have to forgive me, Asterius, for I do not intend to be graceful with today's bounties! Nay!" Theseus' booming voice snapped Asterius' out of his daze, though he was certain that would not last. "Oh, what an  _ exhilarating  _ battle we've faced today! I am still reeling from it.. this called for a feast, my friend."

Asterius snorted, "Suit yourself, king. Down the entire bottle if you must."

He never really did care for Ambrosia; he was not in it for the rewards. Theseus would not hear it.

"What? No, no, no! That is unacceptable! How absurd, to neglect you of your reward. You deserve this, my friend, and rightfully so! I insist that you  _ must _ drink your fair share. I would not take no for an answer. It would be criminal otherwise!"

"I don't like Ambrosia," Asterius told the truth. It tasted like paled nothingness to him. 

He had no frame of reference to understand any of the food in Elysium. It said that Ambrosia adapt its taste to one's palate, able to perfectly capture what one would consider to be the most delicious flavor. Asterius never tasted anything he did not despise. He only ate to survive, and what he ate was considered downright revolting. 

"What do you mean you don't like Ambrosia? Of course you do, you silly old bull. Everyone does!" Asterius wanted to argue, but the nickname flustered him too much to form a proper argument. He huffed in protest instead, which Theseus ignored. "You just haven't acquired a taste for it yet. Now, observe how one savor Ambrosia like the gods!"

The Ambrosia in his hands did not come easy. One must fight their way to the top for a drop of indulgence. (Some kind of heaven Elysium turned out to be.) A hard won reward that Theseus  _ always  _ won, so he never had a reason to restrain himself. To Asterius how Ambrosia was meant to be enjoyed, Theseus did not simply take a sip, he gulped. Chugged half of it down in one swift motion the second his soft lips wrapped around the delicate glass rim. Asterius could hear him swallow, loud and shameless, such an obscene display of superiority should disgust him. Yet he could only stare, fixated at the drop of liquid gold that dripped down Theseus' chin, across his adam's apple bobbing in his throat still, as it made its sinful journey passed Theseus' collarbone to his bare chest. For it rendered Asterius speechless, breathless, he forgot even how to blink. Theseus… There was a reason why Aphrodite favored him so.

His hunger used to run a few shades darker. Not so richly coloured, and more crimson than gold. Asterius became accustomed to the bitter taste, and foul stench, that always had accompanied such evil. Yet he craved it, he would crack down bones to suck the marrow dry if it meant staving off his hunger. This was new. It was something else entirely. A different kind of hunger that Asterius should not have in  _ paradise _ . A burning desire begging to be sated. He never wanted..  _ this _ before, but now he yearned. Theseus tossed the bottle back to him, letting Asterius finished the rest of it as per agreement. Asterius drank it down even though it was not what he wanted. Many would die to get their hand on this and it did nothing for him. Ambrosia was an acquired taste that his uncivilized tongue never learned how to appreciate. The same, he assumed, rang true to with every other aspect of Elysium. With Theseus. Yet as Asterius drank from where Theseus' lips were touching mere seconds ago, Theseus never took his eyes away from him. How strange it was to see such a boisterous demigod grew so quiet and still. The sparkles in his eyes dimmed and darkened with barely-contained lust. Maddening. It was not the Ambrosia that Theseus craved. So when Asterius returned it, Theseus knocked the bottle out of his hands, careless of the leftovers that spilled. He crawled into Asterius' lap like a king descending down to his throne.

* * *

Asterius had no word for what Theseus was doing to him. He spoke an ancient, forgotten tongue, too animalistic to comprehend, but Theseus understood him. Even though all he was capable of breathing loudly through his nose like a mad bull, roaring and choking over his words. He could only call Theseus  _ king _ , because the shortened syllables gave Asterius more time to roll his hips forward to meet his thrust. To  _ moan _ . King, because that was his rightful title. It was what Theseus was to the people of Athens, and to Asterius, his kingdom. Theseus had established his dominance on Asterius' body - made a place for himself inside him by burying himself deep and then some. Asterius' vision was beginning to blur from the sensation. He felt positively delirious, but Theseus held him steady by the hips, his grip tightened until his knuckles paled from the exertion.

Asterius' hooves dig into the velvet sheets as Theseus began to mark up his territory. Blunt fingernails combed through his thick fur to carve little crescent moons into the muscles underneath. They breathed the same air, so close that Theseus' sweat dripped down into his hair, and the king almost salivate at the sight as it dampened, Theseus' brown fur turned so dark it shined. He continued thrusting again, rocking Asterius' world along with the bed. It was shaking so bad that Asterius feared it could not withstand the weight of a minotaur and a demigod, but it held on somehow.

Theseus was powerful. His strength made Asterius felt impossibly small.. and  _ weak _ , Theseus had him completely wrapped around his fingers. After many battles they've fought through side by side, Theseus still had something left to teach him, out of the arena and into their bed. Asterius was thrilled not with the hands currently ravishing his body, but with the promises of nights like these in the future to come. Filled with pleasure to the brim which was how Ambrosia would now taste like.

_ "King.. My king.." _

" _ Asterius - ! " _

He spilled inside Asterius, hot and deep, washed away his thoughts into a white-hot, mind-numbing pleasure, which brought Asterius to completion along with him less than a second later. It felt like forever until he came down from the height of bliss back to Elysium. Time seemed to freeze when he raised his hips high, spine arching from the bed, shaking and whimpering as he came all over himself. Then he fell, dropped back down onto the bed as he opened his eyes and  _ saw. _ The picturesque sight of Theseus - skin glistening with sweat and flushed with every color of spring - was the most beautiful thing Asterius had ever seen both in life and death.

Asterius pushed Theseus' golden hair away from his eyes. A gesture so gentle when compared to the enormity of his hand. Theseus leaned into his matted fur and laughed, voice soft.

"That was one hell of a way to tame a bull, wouldn't you agree?" He hummed.

Asterius didn't reply. Theseus pulled out and away from him, but did not leave afterwards. He didn't stray far, and simply lie down on the bed, propping his head on Asterius' chest. Their intimacy in that moment, and the way Thesus snuggled up close, clued Asterius in on the words he had been missing.  _ Coitus  _ was replaced by  _ making love  _ as Theseus brought the phrase to him with his lips. They kissed, and every defenses he might've had, every chains and walls he could possibly had guarding his heart -  _ shattered _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! Confession, when I first faced Theseus I let out a 'WHOMST' shortly followed by 'Oh I hate this motherfucker he has to die right now immediately' but tbh? He grew on me... I really punked my own ass.


End file.
